Friday, December 25, 2015

For some unexplained reason it seems to be insensitive to wish others a Merry Christmas.

Forget the fact that many who celebrate Christmas do so in a decidedly secular manner. Today's commentary will diverge from the traditional Christmas post and will not explore the "true meaning" of Christmas.

And no, we are not yielding to outside pressure, political or otherwise. Those of us who make InsureBlog possible can perhaps make our voices heard above the din and say Merry Christmas without reprisal.

Nearly all U.S. Christians (96%) say they celebrate Christmas. No big surprise there. But a new Pew Research Center survey also finds that 81% of non-Christians in the United States celebrate Christmas, testifying to the holiday’s wide acceptance - Pew Research

This to me is a fairly powerful statement.

If a nation that includes Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Muslims, etc. plus a minority of non-believers in any religious deity can openly declare en masse that they acknowledge Christmas, then why should we be self conscious about wishing someone a Merry Christmas?

Why must the the overwhelming majority of us be relegated to the back seat and forced to substitute Merry Christmas with Happy Holidays?

My co-blogger, Henry Stern, is a devout, practicing Jew. I, on the other hand, am a Christian. We acknowledge and worship the same God but we do so in different ways.

I don't understand many of his customs and he probably doesn't understand some of mine. After all these years I still don't know which Jewish holidays allow you to feast with abandon while others require fasting.

But in the big scheme of things, does it really matter?

If you, as a reader of InsureBlog, find yourself offended by Merry Christmas do not expect an apology. It isn't forthcoming.

It's not that I do not care about your feelings. Rather it is because I refuse to be pressured into hiding my light under a basket just to keep from offending someone who has a different belief from my own.

So if the words Merry Christmas offend you, get over yourself.

Here is comes one last time. Merry Christmas to all and may you be truly blessed during this holy time of year.

For some unexplained reason it seems to be insensitive to wish others a Merry Christmas.

Forget the fact that many who celebrate Christmas do so in a decidedly secular manner. Today's commentary will diverge from the traditional Christmas post and will not explore the "true meaning" of Christmas.

And no, we are not yielding to outside pressure, political or otherwise. Those of us who make InsureBlog possible can perhaps make our voices heard above the din and say Merry Christmas without reprisal.

Nearly all U.S. Christians (96%) say they celebrate Christmas. No big surprise there. But a new Pew Research Center survey also finds that 81% of non-Christians in the United States celebrate Christmas, testifying to the holiday’s wide acceptance - Pew Research

This to me is a fairly powerful statement.

If a nation that includes Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Muslims, etc. plus a minority of non-believers in any religious deity can openly declare en masse that they acknowledge Christmas, then why should we be self conscious about wishing someone a Merry Christmas?

Why must the the overwhelming majority of us be relegated to the back seat and forced to substitute Merry Christmas with Happy Holidays?

My co-blogger, Henry Stern, is a devout, practicing Jew. I, on the other hand, am a Christian. We acknowledge and worship the same God but we do so in different ways.

I don't understand many of his customs and he probably doesn't understand some of mine. After all these years I still don't know which Jewish holidays allow you to feast with abandon while others require fasting.

But in the big scheme of things, does it really matter?

If you, as a reader of InsureBlog, find yourself offended by Merry Christmas do not expect an apology. It isn't forthcoming.

It's not that I do not care about your feelings. Rather it is because I refuse to be pressured into hiding my light under a basket just to keep from offending someone who has a different belief from my own.

So if the words Merry Christmas offend you, get over yourself.

Here is comes one last time. Merry Christmas to all and may you be truly blessed during this holy time of year.